PHP 8.3.4 Released!

end

(PHP 4, PHP 5, PHP 7, PHP 8)

endSet the internal pointer of an array to its last element

Description

end(array|object &$array): mixed

end() advances array's internal pointer to the last element, and returns its value.

Parameters

array

The array. This array is passed by reference because it is modified by the function. This means you must pass it a real variable and not a function returning an array because only actual variables may be passed by reference.

Return Values

Returns the value of the last element or false for empty array.

Changelog

Version Description
8.1.0 Calling this function on objects is deprecated. Either convert the object to an array using get_mangled_object_vars() first, or use the methods provided by a class that implements Iterator, such as ArrayIterator, instead.
7.4.0 Instances of SPL classes are now treated like empty objects that have no properties instead of calling the Iterator method with the same name as this function.

Examples

Example #1 end() example

<?php

$fruits
= array('apple', 'banana', 'cranberry');
echo
end($fruits); // cranberry

?>

See Also

  • current() - Return the current element in an array
  • each() - Return the current key and value pair from an array and advance the array cursor
  • prev() - Rewind the internal array pointer
  • reset() - Set the internal pointer of an array to its first element
  • next() - Advance the internal pointer of an array
  • array_key_last() - Gets the last key of an array

add a note

User Contributed Notes 15 notes

up
125
franz at develophp dot org
13 years ago
It's interesting to note that when creating an array with numeric keys in no particular order, end() will still only return the value that was the last one to be created. So, if you have something like this:

<?php
$a
= array();
$a[1] = 1;
$a[0] = 0;
echo
end($a);
?>

This will print "0".
up
34
jasper at jtey dot com
17 years ago
This function returns the value at the end of the array, but you may sometimes be interested in the key at the end of the array, particularly when working with non integer indexed arrays:

<?php
// Returns the key at the end of the array
function endKey($array){
end($array);
return
key($array);
}
?>

Usage example:
<?php
$a
= array("one" => "apple", "two" => "orange", "three" => "pear");
echo
endKey($a); // will output "three"
?>
up
24
jorge at REMOVETHIS-2upmedia dot com
12 years ago
If all you want is the last item of the array without affecting the internal array pointer just do the following:

<?php

function endc( $array ) { return end( $array ); }

$items = array( 'one', 'two', 'three' );
$lastItem = endc( $items ); // three
$current = current( $items ); // one
?>

This works because the parameter to the function is being sent as a copy, not as a reference to the original variable.
up
29
Anonymous
21 years ago
If you need to get a reference on the first or last element of an array, use these functions because reset() and end() only return you a copy that you cannot dereference directly:

<?php
function first(&$array) {
if (!
is_array($array)) return &$array;
if (!
count($array)) return null;
reset($array);
return &
$array[key($array)];
}

function
last(&$array) {
if (!
is_array($array)) return &$array;
if (!
count($array)) return null;
end($array);
return &
$array[key($array)];
}
?>
up
10
ivijan dot stefan at gmail dot com
9 years ago
I found that the function end() is the best for finding extensions on file name. This function cleans backslashes and takes the extension of a file.

<?php
private function extension($str){
$str=implode("",explode("\\",$str));
$str=explode(".",$str);
$str=strtolower(end($str));
return
$str;
}

// EXAMPLE:
$file='name-Of_soMe.File.txt';
echo
extension($file); // txt
?>

Very simple.
up
1
ken at expitrans dot com
18 years ago
Please note that from version 5.0.4 ==> 5.0.5 that this function now takes an array. This will possibly break some code for instance:

<?php

echo ">> ".end(array_keys(array('x' => 'y')))."\n";

?>

which will return "Fatal error: Only variables can be passed by reference" in version <= 5.0.4 but not in 5.0.5.

If you run into this problem with nested function calls, then an easy workaround is to assign the result from array_keys (or whatever function) to an intermediary variable:

<?php

$x
= array_keys(array('x' => 'y'));
echo
">> ".end($x)."\n";

?>
up
-4
Jason
11 years ago
$filename = 'somefile.jpg';

php v5.4 does not support the following statement.
echo end(explode(".", $filename)); // return jpg string

instead you have to split into 2 statements
$file = explode(".", $filename);
echo end ($file);
up
-4
Aleksandr
5 years ago
<?php
$A
=[1];
print_r($A);
end($A[5]);
print_r($A);
?>

Array
(
[0] => 1
)
Array
(
[0] => 1
[5] =>
)
up
-4
Jacob
6 years ago
Attempting to get the value of a key from an empty array through end() will result in NULL instead of throwing an error or warning becuse end() on an empty array results in false:

<?php

$a
= ['a' => ['hello' => 'a1','world' => 'a2'],
'b' => ['hello' => 'b1','world' => 'b2'],
'c' => ['hello' => 'c1','world' => 'c2']
];
$b = [];

var_dump(end($a)['hello']);
var_dump(end($b)['hello']);
var_dump(false['hello']);

?>

Results in:

string(2) "c1"
NULL
NULL
up
-4
laurence at crazypillstudios dot com
13 years ago
this is a function to move items in an array up or down in the array. it is done by breaking the array into two separate arrays and then have a loop creates the final array adding the item we want to move when the counter is equal to the new position we established the array key, position and direction were passed via a query string

<?php
//parameters
//$array- the array you are modifying
//$keytomove - the key of the item you wish to move
//$pos - the current position of the item: used a count($array) function
//and then loop with incrementing integer to add the position to the up //or down button
//$dir - the direction you want to move it - "up"/"dn"

function change_pos($array, $keytomove, $pos, $dir){
//count the original number of rows
$count = count($array);
//set the integer we will use to place the moved item
if($dir=="up"){
if(
$pos==1){
//if the item is already first and we try moving it up
//we send it to the end of the array
$change = $count;
}else{
//anywhere else it just moves back one closer to the start of the array
$change = $pos-1;
}
}
//do the same for the down button
if($dir=="dn"){
if(
$pos==$count){
$change = 1;
}else{
$change = $pos+1;
}
}
//copy the element that you wish to move
$move = $array[$keytomove];
//delete the original from the main array
unset($array[$keytomove]);
//create an array of the names of the values we
//are not moving
$preint = 1;
foreach(
$array as $c){
$notmoved["{$preint}"] = $c['name'];
$preint++;
}
//loop through all the elements
$int = 1;
while(
$int<=$count){
//dynamically change the key of the unmoved item as we increment the counter
$notmovedkey = $notmoved["$int"];
//when the counter is equal to the position we want
//to place the moved entry we pump it into a new array
if($int==$change){
$neworder["{$keytomove}"] = $move;
}
//add all the other array items if the position number is not met and
//resume adding them once the moved item is written
if($contkey!=""){
$neworder["{$notmovedkey}"] = $array["{$notmovedkey}"];
}
$int++;
}

return(
$neworder);
}
?>

This is not too elegant but it works.
up
-6
Sam Yong - hellclanner at live dot com
14 years ago
Take note that end() does not recursively set your multiple dimension arrays' pointer to the end.

Take a look at the following:
<?php

// create the array for testing
$a = array();
$i = 0;
while(
$i++ < 3){
$a[] = array(dechex(crc32(mt_rand())),dechex(crc32('lol'.mt_rand())));
}

// show the array tree
echo '<pre>';var_dump($a);

// set the pointer of $a to the end
end($a);

// get the current element of $a
var_dump(current($a));
// get the current element of the current element of $a
var_dump(current(current($a)));

?>

You will notice that you probably get something like this:

array(3) {
[0]=>
array(2) {
[0]=>
string(8) "764d8d20"
[1]=>
string(8) "85ee186d"
}
[1]=>
array(2) {
[0]=>
string(8) "c8c72466"
[1]=>
string(8) "a0fdccb2"
}
[2]=>
array(2) {
[0]=>
string(8) "3463a31b"
[1]=>
string(8) "589f6b63"
}
}

array(2) {
[0]=>
string(8) "3463a31b"
[1]=>
string(8) "589f6b63"
}

string(8) "3463a31b"

The array elements' pointer are still at the first one as current. So do take note.
up
-4
Anonymous
21 years ago
When adding an element to an array, it may be interesting to know with which key it was added. Just adding an element does not change the current position in the array, so calling key() won't return the correct key value; you must first position at end() of the array:

<?php
function array_add(&$array, $value) {
$array[] = $value; // add an element
end($array); // important!
return key($array);
}
?>
up
-7
Omolewa stephen
7 years ago
I found using pathinfo very useful in getting extension of a file.
<? Php
$filename = dictionary.txt;
$ext = strtolower(pathinfo($filename, PATHINFO_EXTENSION)) ;

echo $ext; // txt
?>
up
-11
aaaaa976 at gmail dot com
5 years ago
To get the first element:

// Get first item.
foreach ($array as $item) {
$first = $item;
break;
}
// $first will have the first element.
up
-24
goran
7 years ago
In case you need add separator at end

$numbers = array('1','2','3','4');
foreach ($numbers as $number){
echo $number;
if (end($numbers) != $number){
echo ', ';
}
}
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